All four issues have been out in Manchester now, with the final containing a note clarifying it was the last trial and to stay tuned. No subscribers (at least on TMUK) seem to have received the second package though.

With the Who partwork I think it normally works out that you get the package between the two issues being released to shops, though it can vary a bit either way.

Anyway, the other two issues in the trial have turned up (bloody Halfshell being right), though still missing the flat number on them. Though when phoning up to get the address corrected the man on the phone I spoke to confirmed it's going nationwide, possibly before the end of the year (though he wasn't entirely sure about that).

As for the two books, a quick glance makes me think:

The Edge of Extinction one is very nice, good chunky hardback with Rhythms through to the titular story, so basically not far off being that best of book Titan did a few years ago. I can see this being one people who aren't otherwise interested grab.

Plus all the UK covers are present, the only book with American Marvel issues where this was the case. I think this was the last issue in the trial, so hopefully that's something that's been tweaked as they've gone along and the proper series will do it for all.

The Primal Scream one is a little odder. As I've said before, I can see the logic of getting the "Drawn to be colour" strips in the trial by hook or by crook so that if it didn't go through they'd at least have had the treatment. But there's no sense in either Fall and Rise... or especially the clear prologue to Time Wars Cold Comfort and Joy being there. It's very odd and distracting and means the attempt to "Do" Marvel in the proper order has already faltered.

Not sure why the new colours are very much in the American Marvel "Dots" style rather than what the UK used to do either.

[I haven't had chance to read the surrounding bonus material yet, so maybe all question will be answered there]

Quick Edit: I do think they've made a bit of a mistake with the issues chosen for the test being so Marvel and Furman heavy. It doesn't give any real idea of what people who aren't already buying all the comics might expect from the backhalf of the series, nor what a "Modern" (Stormbringer is ten years old!) TF comic is like. Any Brits going "Well I'd loved what I had as a kid, but I'm not sure about this other stuff" won't have anything to sway them here.

I'm not sure how far forward it's going, but surely Wreckers (though I suppose that's not that recent any more) or early MTMTE or RID would have been a sensible addition.

Anyway, the other two issues in the trial have turned up (bloody Halfshell being right

I DO NOT KNOW WHO THIS HALFSHELL PERSON IS BUT THEY SOUND VERY INTELLIGENT AND PROBABLY USUALLY CORRECT.

Ahem.

Saw this post earlier, pulled my grumpy "Well MINE haven't arrived" face, only to get home just now and they're here. Hooray! Much more sensible packaging this time out, too, as the first shipment was two books in an oversized box whereas this is in actual form-fitting wraparound cardboard.

Complete with a covering letter saying the four issue trial is over, which is interesting as it's the first official thing I've seen that actually says it's a trial.

So have none of us actually been charged for the first four issues then? Presumably nobody's received the free gifts that were advertised either? This is all very confusingly structured.

Quote:

It's very odd and distracting and means the attempt to "Do" Marvel in the proper order has already faltered.

YOU ARE WRONG THIS IS DEFINITIVE FURMAN HELPED ORGANISE IT AND THIS IS THE RIGHT WAY NOW ahem. Sorry, went a bit Wikidiot for a moment there.

Quote:

I'm not sure how far forward it's going, but surely Wreckers (though I suppose that's not that recent any more) or early MTMTE or RID would have been a sensible addition.

I'd imagine there's an agreement with IDW to not do anything that's still "in print" as part of the trial. Especially if none of us have paid for the stuff...

I DO NOT KNOW WHO THIS HALFSHELL PERSON IS BUT THEY SOUND VERY INTELLIGENT AND PROBABLY USUALLY CORRECT.

A lot of posters here would agree with you.

Because most of them were his alt IDs.

So, fully confirmed to be launching now with pre-orders at places like Forbidden Planet up.

Towards the bottom of the main website page there's also now a link to a questionnaire (and it's telling that the options for how you read issue 1 don't include a subscription!) asking for feedback from those who have and haven't picked up the trial. It's a good way of suggesting (sensible) changes for the main run. Mine was mostly about the covers and keeping on top of Marvel story order as much as possible.

Huzzah! I didn't get any of the trial issues, but I do now have the first two 'proper' volumes, which appear to be starting to roll out now.

Just had a skim through the Target:2006 book...

Page 132 promises "Transformers US #21-22", but what follows is a full three issues, US#21 to 23.

The US issues are presented more-or-less how they were originally printed (but with the dotty colouring fixed). Surely the point in presenting the US and UK books in the correct order is so they can be read as a single story, in the proper context?

In order to smooth over the continuity cracks between the UK and US stories, the US books were usually edited (US#16-24 were especially affected) for their UK printing. But rather than the UK edits of the American stories, we get the familiar US versions. So further down the line we'll get continuity cock-ups like Razorclaw visiting Earth for the first time twice (in 'Prey' and 'Gone But Not Forgotten'). We'll also likely get appearances by Skids when he's supposed to be in limbo (he was often painted out of the US books for the British reprinting), and Skids will inexplicably take ages to travel from Wyoming back to the Ark, because we won't get the extra explanation for his absence (from the events of "Target:2006") that was added to the UK printing of "Showdown". Presumably we'll also get the unedited version of "Totaled", which will mean that Starscream will effectively escape from the Autobots twice (in "Totalled" and "Stargazing"), despite only being captured once. Ugh.

Also, shouldn't "The Gift" (UK#93) be slotted in between "Heavy Traffic" and "Decepticon Graffitti"? Where has it gone? We get covers galleries for the UK comics and full page covers for the US issues, but annoyingly the UK-exclusive covers for the American stories (such as the cover for UK#94) aren't present.

As a UK publication, it would make far more sense to get the UK edits of the US comics, just so the whole thing flows better. An example from this volume would be on page 4 of "Heavy Traffic", where it states that Prime was wounded in issue #19 - in the UK edit, that wound was as a result of being hacked at by Zenag in UK#100 - you see why this is going to get a little bumpy for readers new to the series?

Oh, and on page 214, there's a factual error as well, when it states that Transformers UK sold 200,000 copies per week. Thanks to my super-secret research, I can confirm that's bollocks. It actually sold 103,000 copies per week at its peak.

The confusion comes from the fact that each individual comic sold would tend to be read by a number of people, as kids lent or gave their comics to siblings or school friends. It was calculated that, on average, each comic sold would be read by two-point-five people. Marvel (and other comic publishers such as Fleetway or IPC) would therefore take the actual circulation figures and apply this 2.5 multiplier to give a total readership that did exceed two hundred thousand on occasion. So whilst the readership was arguably 250K-plus, the actual number of copies sold was less that half that figure.

Having just checked, no charge on my account yet. Presuming I'll be getting the first four again (which would seem to be standard and fits with not having been charged for the trial) coupled with no advertising or mention of the book's formal launch (though the website has been revamped a bit, no more "Andrew Wlidman") that all seems odd. Especially as the Who one normally comes in parallel with the newstand release of the first of the two issues you're getting.

Shame it sounds as if there hasn't been time for any feedback from the trial to be put into effect. The Trek one had a much longer gestation period (it trialed before this and won't be starting till January!) and did shift some things, such as changing the subscriber bonus books.

Were the free gifts all present and correct?

EDIT: Actually, you should have gotten three books as Primal Scream comes free with anyone whose sub includes issue 2 (and the Who partwork had a similar deal and three issues in its first delivery), is this perhaps your trial sub finally being sent out?

DOUBLE EDIT: I should say I mean your Hachette account rather than asking you to check your bank!

Is there a chance to buy this casually, say if I just want Issues 5 and 13? I only ask because they keep mentioning subscriptions, premium subscriptions, elite subscriptions, simpatico maximus subscriptions etc. I just want the ones Gears appears in.

Is there a chance to buy this casually, say if I just want Issues 5 and 13? I only ask because they keep mentioning subscriptions, premium subscriptions, elite subscriptions, simpatico maximus subscriptions etc. I just want the ones Gears appears in.

They'll probably turn up in random newsagents or bookshops. I'd expect Forbidden Planet to stock them. Failing that they'll probably turn up on eBay. You should be fine, squire.

Thank you, that's good to know. I'm quite keen to get Stormbringer and Chaos Theory. If they reprint the new TF comic prior to it splitting into MTMTE and RID, that would be pretty cool too. The weird art intrigues me & it was right around the time I started noticing them on the shelves, but not enough to actually buy them.

Had an email on Christmas Day (!) announcing the start of the proper run. Test subscribers should note you have to give them your payment details again as they don't keep them for data protection reasons. I also got a new subscription number.

It claims issue 1 will be published on 28th December, but I can't realistically see it at homes or in shops before new year.

Yeah, and I caught the advert for it on TV twice today; once during the Muppet Movie and again during something on ITV. They only mixed up Soundwave with Thunderwing, but otherwise it was a top notch advertisement.